Seismic protection

It is a protection system that places flexible devices, the isolators, between the foundation and the building. By lengthening the vibration period, it reduces the forces and accelerations that reach the structure, its occupants, and its contents.

Seismic isolation standard E.031 requires base isolation for new category A1 healthcare facilities (public and private, second level of care and above) located in seismic zones 4 and 3.

The initial added cost is usually marginal compared to the reduction in risk and losses over the building's service life. It depends on height, configuration, and soil; we estimate it at the schematic design stage.

Isolation decouples the building from the ground; energy dissipation adds devices within the structure that absorb part of the earthquake's energy. Dissipation is usually the better fit for tall buildings.